How to hire a production machinist

How to hire a production machinist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step production machinist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a production machinist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new production machinist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your production machinist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a production machinist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a production machinist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a production machinist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of production machinists.

   Type of Production Machinist	Description	Hourly rate
   Production Machinist	Machinists and tool and die makers set up and operate a variety of computer-controlled and mechanically controlled machine tools to produce precision metal parts, instruments, and tools.	$14-25
   Set-Up Operator	A machine set-up operator operates machinery such as grinders, bores, and mills. They prepare machines to be used by organizing tools, setting valve directions, sharpening tools as needed, positioning tools, and conducting regular maintenance.	$13-25
   Grinder	Depending on the industry, a grinder has a diverse range of duties. Typically, they oversee setting up and operating bearing grinders, cam grinders, and CNC lathes... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Hand Tools
   • Calipers
   • Operate CNC
   • CNC Machines
   • Manual Lathes
   • SPC
   • Machine Shop Equipment
   • Troubleshoot
   • Safety Guidelines
   • Grinders
   • Product Quality
   • Blueprint Specifications
   • Shop Mathematics
   • Jigs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate lathes, mills, cnc hurco mill, sinker edm, jig grinder, o.d.
   • Set up and operate mills, lathes, VTL Bullards, surface grinding, band see.
   • Operate, setup, and program wire and sinker EDM machines.
   • Require to inspect work using various micrometers and optical comparators and scopes.
   • Edit programs (troubleshoot), alter tooling and set-ups to run more efficient.
   • Operate machine tools such as grinders, files, and metal brushes to clean metal parts.

   More production machinist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the production machinist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A production machinist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a production machinist in Tennessee may be lower than in New Mexico, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level production machinist. Additionally, a production machinist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average production machinist salary

   $40,934yearly

   $19.68 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level production machinist salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average production machinist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$48,595	$23
   2	Pennsylvania	$45,148	$22
   3	Massachusetts	$44,106	$21
   4	North Dakota	$42,782	$21
   5	Connecticut	$41,687	$20
   6	Virginia	$41,177	$20
   7	Rhode Island	$39,726	$19
   8	Texas	$39,312	$19
   9	California	$39,046	$19
   10	South Dakota	$37,458	$18
   11	Arizona	$37,273	$18
   12	Florida	$36,651	$18
   13	Wisconsin	$36,168	$17
   14	Ohio	$34,752	$17

   Average production machinist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meggitt PLC	$68,651	$33.01
   2	Ball	$57,776	$27.78	18
   3	American Axle & Manufacturing	$55,485	$26.68	9
   4	BrassCraft	$55,168	$26.52	2
   5	L3Harris	$47,533	$22.85	39
   6	Cenergy International Services	$47,394	$22.79
   7	Raytheon Technologies	$47,131	$22.66	54
   8	Precision Technologies Inc	$46,934	$22.56
   9	Waters	$46,770	$22.49	20
   10	Belcan	$46,658	$22.43	30
   11	The Next Level	$46,058	$22.14	5
   12	ITW	$42,939	$20.64	32
   13	ConMet	$41,513	$19.96	1
   14	Masco	$41,220	$19.82	13
   15	Element Materials Technology	$41,144	$19.78	2
   16	Exova Inc	$40,953	$19.69	1
   17	TE Connectivity Networks�Inc	$40,924	$19.68	42
   18	Grp Inc	$40,924	$19.68
   19	LUK	$40,690	$19.56
   20	Aerotek	$40,118	$19.29	645

4. Writing a production machinist job description

   A production machinist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a production machinist job description:

   Production machinist job description example

   Production Machinist II FULL-TIME
   $24.96/hr The Production Machinist II sets-up, operates and tends assorted conventional/computerized shop machining equipment to produce, grind, mill, plane, shape, groove, cut, or profile various types of wheels/parts to specification applying knowledge of mechanics, shop mathematics, grinding properties, layout, and machining procedures. · Utilizes knowledge of various metals, diamond, molded wheels and other raw materials to produce the desired cuts, fit, hold tolerances or finishes on each part/wheel, (i.e., aluminum, low carbon, stainless, composite materials, ceramics).
   · May independently select metal stock and lays out design according to dimensions computed from blueprints, work orders, clear or rough drawings and/or own background and experience.
   · Utilizes specific knowledge and understanding of products and material characteristics in order to identify effective set-up and machining operations, (i.e., speed, settings) specific to a particular type of wheel/part.
   · Ability to hold tighter and better quality tolerances than Production Machinist I.
   · May be responsible for increased production machining as compared to the Production Machinists III & IV.
   · Works from blueprints, sketches, work orders, models of parts to be made, or other specifications to determine the machine tool best for each operation to be performed, which attachments are to be used on each machine and operational sequences.
   · Assembles new job setups based on the wheel/part size/fixture on a variety of different types of equipment (e.g., automatic grinding/milling machines, lathes, surface grinders) involving accurate alignment in order to maintain specified tolerances.
   · Utilizes machine shop inspection equipment, (i.e., indicator, electronic height gage, PneumoCentic, CMM) and functions in a self-inspection environment requiring set up and proper maintenance of equipment.
   · May be responsible to operate multiple machines simultaneously by first setting up equipment using appropriate tooling components, (i.e., optical tool setter, chucks, gauge blocks, micrometers).
   · Activates machine start-up using conversational applications, manual data inputs, or a direct numerical control (DNC) system.
   · Calculates dimensions and tolerances using many types of precision instruments and equipment, (i.e., vernier, calipers, height gauges, protractors, micrometers, comparators, probes, and plug gauges) to attain accurate dimensions and maintain tight tolerances.
   · Lifts and positions parts/wheels manually or with hoists or lifts and secures them on faceplates, chucks, etc. using clamps and hand tools.
   · May run all manually operated machines and may not be responsible for CNC equipment. If CNC responsibility, minor programming only or conversational application. (+) 2.00 differential - 3rd shift Saint-Gobain provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Saint-Gobain is an equal opportunity employer of individuals with disabilities and supports the hiring of veterans. BOS-01 WS-01
   Schedule
   Shift start: 2:00PM or 9:00PM
   Shift length: 8 hours
   3rd shift schedule 9pm start runs Sun-Thurs 9pm-530am
   Benefits
   Health, dental, vision insurance Paid time off 401(k) plan
   Qualifications
   Can lift 50 lbs Technical school training, apprenticeship program, or equivalent work experience operating CNC machines and other metal fabricating machines may be required. Knowledge of trade mathematics (arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, algebra) required to perform necessary calculations to determine if product/material within acceptable tolerance/specifications levels and compute defect percentages or averages using formulas and calculators. Must read and interpret blueprints. Demonstrated ability to apply software application as it applies to programming CNC equipment. This position requires over 1 year's on-the-job work experience to become proficient in all phases of the job to work independently. Various PPE devices & equipment such as gloves, safety shoes, respirators, dust masks, hearing protection, and glasses may be required.
   
   About Saint-Gobain Abrasives
   Abrasives Worldwide Saint-Gobain Abrasives, the world's leading manufacturer of abrasives, offers powerful, precise and user-friendly solutions enabling customers to shape and surface finish all types of materials even in the most complex and challenging applications across a diverse range of markets.

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5. Post your job

   To find production machinists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any production machinists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level production machinists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your production machinist job on Zippia to find and recruit production machinist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with production machinist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new production machinist

   Once you've found the production machinist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new production machinist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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